Curtain rod



S p 1953 E. J. DUBIELL J CURTAIN ROD Filed Dec. 2, 1949 INVENTOR [ah/4RDJ. DUB/ELL TORNEYS Patented Sept. 15, 1953 Edward unmet; wallingford,Qonn assignoi to Jjudd Company, waliingfordgconmgja v 1-1 corporationofBelaware Application December 2, 1949,:Serial-Nm 1130,1 88.

3Glaims. (c1. tin- 105a).

My invention relates to'curtain'rods and in particular to improvedmeans-in a curtain rod for facilitating the operation of threadingapiirta'in onto the rod. The -present"invention isthe nature of animprovement. overthe construction disclosed in the copendin g -patentapplication [of Oscar N. Whitehead, Serial No. 20,190, filed-April 10-,1948, which matured mtonnita States Patent 2,573,078 on- October 30,1951.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of thecharacter indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved curtain-rod threading meansthat may present only smoothly rounded surfaces to the parts of thecurtain that are being threaded and which may therefore facilitate thethreading operation.

It is a further object to meet the above objects with a simple andrelatively inexpensive construction that may nevertheless besufficiently well reinforced to perform its intended functions in spiteof considerable abuse.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention willbe pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a readingof the following specification in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only,a preferred form of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary partly broken-away front view of an assembledtelescopic curtain rod incorporating features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional end view of the rod on line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the thimble end part of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a back view of the part of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged perspective views of the front and back ofthe thimble end of the rod of Fig. 3.

Briefly stated, my invention contemplates an improved end constructionfor a curtain rod, whereby only a continuously formed and rounded (and,therefore, non-fouling) surface may be presented to a curtain as thecurtain is being threaded onto the rod. The invention has particularusefulness in connection with telescoping curtain rods, and in the formto be described the end construction is adapted to the inner element ofa two-element telescoping curtain rod.

Referring to the drawings, my invention is shown in application to atelescoping curtain rod comprising an outer element or rod section I0and an inner element or rod section II. Both elements Ill-l l aregenerally flat rods of conventional generally C-shaped section. and inthe case 'of'the rod. cement l 1: the sect on". ccmririssagenerally fiatfront face, "I 2 between. oppositely facing of thefr'od l 0, may closelyresemble" that. described for therodsection' H "bllhof eoui's'a' lwithemerged dimensions to permit a't'elescopi'ng'fit of the'section I 1within the section [0.

In accordance with the invention, I provide a means for so finishing thetelescoping end of the inner rod element II that it may be readilythreaded, without snagging, into a curtain. Such thimble end may beformed by cutting away the flanges [3-14, as at H, so as to permit thesides [5-1 6 and the face I2 to project beyond the cut-away flangeportions; also, the projecting end of the sides and of the face portionl2 may be so formed as to produce a rearwardly directed skirt I8 with nodiscontinuities. In practice, the skirt l8 may be formed in a simplepressing operation after the side flanges have been cut away in thedescribed manner. The skirt I8 may be said to define the rim of agenerally cupped formation at the end of the rod section I i and, if theflanges are not cut away too far into the sides l5l6, the rim or skirtl8 of this cupped portion may be smoothly continuously and integrallyformed with the sides, so as to be substantially tangential with thesides l5--l 6, as viewed from the front or from the back (Figs. 1 and4).

It will be appreciated that I have described a simple, effective, andingenious threading construction for an element of a telescopic curtainrod of the character indicated. The construction is such as to provideinherently for its own reinforcement and to present smooth tangentialtransitions from straight or flat surfaces to curved surfaces, whereversuch transitions occur. It will also be appreciated that suchtransitions may be effected without any edge discontinuity, so that theentire thimble end may be of smooth integral construction. It willfurther be appreciated that my novel thimble-end construction may beadapted with the least possible expense to mass production ofnon-fouling rod ends.

While I have described my invention in detail for the preferred formshown, it will be understood that modifications may be made within thescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet-metal curtain rod integrally formed c i gamma with a thimbleat one end, comprising a substantially flat front face with oppositelyfacing bent flange portions integral with said face to form a generallyC-shaped rod section, said flanges, being cut-away at the thimble endsubstantially to said face, and a continuously formed uninterrupted rimbent from said face and toward the general plane of said flanges, saidrim extending continuously from the cut-away edge of one flange andcontinuously skirting the thimble end of said face and continuouslyjoining the other of said flanges, whereby said thimble end may beperfectly smooth and continuous with the remainder of said rod so thatcurtain material will not snag or catch either inthe process ofthreading onto or removal from said rod.

3. A sheet-metal curtain rod integrally formed with a thimble at oneend, comprising a longitudinally extending generally flat face,longitudinally extending opposed flanges, and sides integral with saidface and with said flanges for spacing said flanges from said face toprovide a rod of generally C-shaped crosssection, said flanges being cutaway at the thimble end of said rod, whereby said face and sides mayproject beyond said flanges, the

5 forward edge of said face being formed with a continuous skirt bentinwardly toward said flanges and continuously formed with said sides,

2. A sheet-metal curtain rod integrally formed with a thimble at oneend, comprising a subwhereby the thimble end of said rod may be smoothand continuous so as to present no discontinuity. for snag ing a draperyor the like hem.

EDWARD J. DUBIELL.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,376,541 Hills May 3, 1921 1,628,667, 3 Hathaway May 17, 19271,817,954 Trowbridge Aug. 11, 1931 1,930,996 Cuthbert Oct. 17, 19332,170,674 Auslander Aug. 22, 1939 2,436,811 Kenney et a1. Mar. 2, 19482,573,078 Whitehead Oct. 30, 1951

